We were lucky to catch up with Amy Barrett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Where did the Tables concept come from? Well some people have a shoe fetish, and some have hat fetish–I have a tables fetish. I always loved going to antique stores and tag sales and finding little drop leaf tables. Not just any drop lead table. It had to be wood, have spindle legs, a certain width and length. They were all different, but the same, if that makes sense. I would take them home and refinish them, paint them and find a place for them. The thing was, my husband and I lived in a little 900 sq ft house, and I was running out of room. I would come home and ask my husband for help getting something out of my car, as he would say, “It better not be another table, we have no where to put another but in the basement.” So that’s where they went.

A couple of months later we decided to leave Strings Restaurant, where we both met, where we learned so much from Noel Cunningham. It was time for us to move on to our own venture. It was time for our own restaurant. We found the perfect spot in our neighborhood of Park Hill, only blocks from our house. And when we sat down for a name, we both immediately said Tables. This way, we could utilize all the tables we already had and a great way to set the the decor and concept.

That is how Tables came about, and how I am still able to continue my obsession for tables.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Originally from New York, Amy Barrett spent a few years living in NYC working in the financial industry before making a quality-of-life change. In pursuit of a cooking career, Amy attended Johnson & Wales University in Vail, Co., while working at a local bistro in near by Frisco. With a culinary degree and two years’ cooking under her belt, Amy decided to test the Denver waters–a happy medium between mountain-town and NYC. She explored a variety of kitchens, but Strings proved to be the best match. Amy was hired as a Sous Chef and quickly proved herself to become the Executive Chef.

Dustin Barrett grew up in east Texas and graduated with a business degree from Austin College. He always knew he wanted to cook and have a restaurant of his own, so after some time he was running a very reputable restaurant in Austin. He decided he wanted to go to culinary school to further his education, which lead him to Denver, and to Johnson & Wales. Once there he applied at Strings Restaurant. As he likes to say Amy Vitale hired me—and then I hired her.

After their time at Strings, Dustin and Amy as husband and wife, decided to pursue something of their own. In April 2005 they opened Tables, a small restaurant in Park Hill. Tables will celebrate its 17th anniversary in April, with hard work and love; they have shaped their bistro into a Park Hill staple. They are happy and celebrate with their daughter everyday.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Clearly, it is COVID. It seems like forever ago and I seems like yesterday. March 14 2020, last night of service. Even though we felt like a deer in head lights we didn’t skip a beat. Sunday and Monday my husband, my daughter and I walked door to door handing out flyers, “family meals to go,” they said. We were ready. We “turned the tables’ so to say. We created a pretty well oiled to go restaurant in 72 hours. By the end of the week we had 3/4 or our kitchen staff back and 1/3 of the front of house. We were still feeding our customers, I can’t tell you how many said our food gave them security and a little feeling of normality in all the craziness–that made us feel so very good.

Soon after we had 3 different tents (as one collapsed from wind, and one from snow the day before Thanksgiving), we built greenhouses for seating, we permitted for the outside dining and created electrical for heating. We had liquor time sales restraints and continued our to go food.

As COVID number fell, restrictions did too. We were able to seat inside. We rearranged our dining room and spaced everything 6 ft apart. New seating charts, new cleaning chemicals, sanitizing protocols, CDC rules of exposure, mask meditates and policing, product shortages and increased pricing. It was nuts.

Now we are all still in it, but think we have pivoted so much, we get a little dizzy sometimes. I would hope we would all have a little more compassion and empathy for all in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: TablesonKearney.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tablesonkearney/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TablesRestaurant

Image Credits
JP Beato III Photography JPbeato.com